ABCD: Intention Vs.

Reality

CORRINA VALI AND NANDA KISHORE DAGGUPATI

OCEANPATH FELLOWS, COADY INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE,

CANADA

Corrina’s Initiative: Saheli Pads

Social enterprise that manufactures and sells low cost sanitary napkins in semi-rural and rural Gujarat

Currently provides full-time employment to local women

Sales collaboration with gynaecology clinics and potential markets through PHCs, schools and anganwadis

Community Assets:

Main point of contact with women: Ms. Laxmi Parmar, social worker with 15 years of experience

Personal network: Hospitals, schools, government officials, technicians

Other Units: In touch with numerous similar units, currently exploring the idea of forming a cooperative

Social movement: Menstrual Health Management is a hot topic in India with many resources and solution providers

Coady International Institute: Advisors, connections with SEWA and other NGOs

Saheli Pads

Current Stage and

Future Plans

Modifying manufacturing process and raw materials to improve pad quality as per

community feedback

Future Plans

Manufacturing: Finalize standard manufacturing process and product by March 2018

Sales and Distribution: Start breaking even on operational costs by May 2018

Awareness: Start in-field Menstrual Health Management workshops for school girls and women in June 2018

Scale: Ongoing discussions about scaling using a cooperative system but no set date yet

Kishore’s Initiative: Educational development in Chennai

ContextThe current state of education

ContextThe current state of education

ChudarCommunity partner

The Approach

Kishore’s Fellowship

Government partnership

Skill tracking data by teachers collected by Education officers

Scaling strategy & Institutionalizing change

Kishore’s Fellowship

Government partnership

Skill tracking data by teachers collected by Education officers

Scaling strategy & Institutionalizing change

Technology in Education

Avoiding technology from perpetuating existing practices

Teaching focus: capacity building

Assets

Government contacts

Existing research and work done by the organization

Buy-in from schools and community

Education as an accepted necessity

Other organizations recognizing importance of education quality

ACTIVITY

Assets redefined:

Task Assets Significance

Approaching education officer

regarding partnership (signed letter)Access to political contact

Bypassing the political processes and effort

required to establish legitimacy.

Teachers focusing on skill

development and track these skills

Technology available at the organization (tablets)Data collection that will give social proof to skill

tracking as an important element of the system.

Education system curriculum already in place that

can be used as a framework to establish

perspective of skill tracking.

Bypassing the need to create a new framework

for teachers.

ABCD as part of a

blended approach

Outsiders to

community assets

Q & A